Should You Buy iPhone X, Pixel XL, Note 8 or OnePlus 5?

By Onkar Sharma

Ever since the first iPhone was launched on January 9, 2007 after years of hardwork, rumors and speculation, it is by default the benchmark for the entire industry. Since then, it has inspired competitors and created new trends. But the competition was not far behind in matching the Apple’s prowess. While Apple forced them to innovate initially, it’s the other way round now. Apple now has to keep a close eye on what is cooking up in the rival camps, especially at Samsung, Google and a host of Chinese counterparts such as Honor, OnePlus and others so that it can set its foot a little ahead of them. It is very much apparent in the latest release of the Apple phones – iPhone 8 and iPhone X.

Keeping a close look at some of the latest flagship devices which the market has been gaga about, we tried to bring you the fair comparison between them. We have tried to evaluate them on qualitative and quantitative aspects.

Users often face the question as to how the iPhone X stands against the Samsung Note 8, the Google Pixel XL and the OnePlus 5 and others or vice-a-versa. It is best that we stack up these phones against each other and compare the raw hardware specs to analyze their worth.

Design and display

Design and looks are the gateway into the hearts of consumers when it comes to smartphones. This stands true in the case of all the latest flagship range from Apple, Samsung, Google, OnePlus and others. The iPhone X and the Samsung Note 8 have been crafted using sheets of reinforced glass and a pressed metal frame in between. But this also differs both the devices as the bezel-less displays on both the phones are different.

While iPhone X sports a 5.8-inch OLED display that can churn out 458 ppi at resolution of 1125×2436 pixels, the Galaxy Note 8 offers you a large screen bearing a 6.3 inch 1,440×2,960 QHD+ display with a pixel density of 521 pixels per inch. Comparing Google Pixel XL against the two for design and display, users get 5.5 inches display with resolution of 1440×2560 and a pixel density of 534 pixels per inch. The design in three of the phones is stunning and is the result of the different users in different markets. As the lower-priced counterpart, the OnePlus 5 sports a 5.5-inch full HD Optic AMOLED display that snuggly fits into a smaller frame. However, OnePlus 5 does not have a bezel-less display which other counterparts do boast of.

Under the hood

The Note 8 comes with a beastly combination of hardware as it uses the Samsung Exynos 8895 and Qualcomm 835 SoCs found in the Galaxy S8 and S8+. In addition, it comes with 6GB of RAM and up to 256GB of built-in storage. It has a battery of 3300 mAh with wireless charging. Stacked against it, the iPhone X has been powered with A11 Bionic SoC and sports 3GB of RAM.

The beauty of the A11 Bionic module is its dual-core Neural engine that has allowed Apple to add FaceID to iPhone X. If the claims are to be believed, the battery on this iPhone provides more than two hours of battery time than the existing iPhone 7. On paper, the Note 8 may sound good but in reality iPhone X with the power of A11 Bionic chipset outsmarts everyone.

Compared to both of them, the Google Pixel XL comes powered with 1.9GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 processor and 4GB of RAM. The phone packs 64GB of internal storage that cannot be expanded. It has been powered by a 3520mAh non removable battery. The Chinese counterpart, OnePlus 5, comes packed with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 clocked at 2.45 GHz featuring an octa-core setup. It comes with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB of internal storage. It is easy to make out which is the best on the specs. However, it is suggested that readers wait till the end to make up their mind.

The Cameras

The camera in any of the smartphones might change your perception. If you are a photography buff, this is the feature you cannot overlook.

The iPhone X has been equipped with a dual 12-megapixel camera setup which promises to bring with it optical image stabilisation in both the sensors. The rear camera array also has a quad-LED True Tone Flash. The front camera module even houses an infrared sensor and another sensor that can throw 30,000 invisible dots at the user’s face. This powers its FaceID feature.

The Note 8 and Pixel XL too come with a 12-Megapixel dual camera and 8-Megapixel front selfie camera. The Note 8 camera module sits next to the wide-angle sensor already present on the Galaxy S8. However, the front 8-Megapixel selfie camera on the Note 8 is not able to match the depth sensing AR-ready selfie camera module of the iPhone X. The Pixel XL also falls a short of providing the AR capability in selfies. However, OnePlus 5 on paper stands out with its camera feature but might not give you the picture quality that of the iPhone X, Pixel XL and Samsung Note 8. It features a dual-lens camera. The OnePlus 5 cameras do have 16MP + 20MP lens on rear offer lossless zoom feature. Its front facing camera is 16MP.

The foot forward

The iPhone X with its FaceID, AR selfies and ML capabilities is no less than a powerhouse in your hand. However, it comes with a price tag. The Pixel XL and Note 8 cater to a wide audience and closely compete with the iPhone X with other features which iPhone X does not have. In addition, the experts believe that FaceID is a screwed-up move by Apple as there are flaws in the feature. The OnePlus 5 outsmarts everyone stacked against it with its price for the features. Every device comes with their pros and cons. It is up to the consumers to keep their requirements and the purchasing power.